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5 Tips for Planning an International Fall Vacation

By Mirela Necsutu, Wed, Sep 4, 2013

You’ve decided to make a beeline for Europe this Fall, or take the family on an adventure in Southeast Asia. So now how do you manage to make it happen, keep things running smoothly and get the best bang for your buck? These 5 tips will help you plan an international summer getaway without going crazy.

Find an airline that offers creature comforts

If the thought of not having a movie library and entertainment system on the plane makes you nervous, take the time to find an airline that provides these options. For instance, Emirates has some interesting built-in systems that allow passengers to call home from the flight or view the plane’s exterior at their seat from special mounted cameras. United Airlines lets iPod and iPhone users watch their own shows and flicks by plugging in their devices to view entertainment on 15-inch screens.

On select Singapore Airlines routes, you can tune into movies and music, or even learn a foreign language through in-flight software available at each seat. Soon, travelers will be able to use the most advanced in-flight entertainment system in the world while flying with this carrier. The next generation KrisWorld will feature larger LCD screens, video touch-screen handsets and a cutting-edge user-interface.

Be prepared for emergency situations

Passports, insurance cards, social security information and credit cards are all things you’ll need to get by abroad. Not only should they be put in safe places, but all these items also need to be photocopied and e-mailed to a trusted friend or family member back home. Just in case the worst should happen.

The U.S. State Department also has a program that can lend a hand if any emergency situations should arise. With a quick head’s up to the government through an online enrollment form, you can let them know where you plan on flying to and receive current travel information and warnings no matter where you roam.

It’s the simplest way to let everyone know your whereabouts for contact and safety. If something happens to you abroad, either on a business or pleasure trip, your loved ones can find out easily what to do. Go to the U.S. Department of State website to review this process, make an account and sign up for the program.

Take only what’s necessary

One of the biggest hassles at the airport is having to rifle through a packed bag, pull it all out and sacrifice items because of the weight requirement. However, it can also be frustrating to not have space available to take some something home that you really want. So avoid all that stress by making packing a priority.

Put all small things in bags, bring only necessary clothes and try to leave that bulky hairdryer at home. Not to mention, many international flights state their baggage allowance on their websites (usually first checked bag and carry-on is free). While you’re at it, see which airlines offer free items in-flight that you can leave at home. Qantas offers quality toothbrushes and lotions to their business class passengers, while Virgin Atlantic’s economy class includes earplugs and cool hipster-like eyeshades.

Research what you can take back with you

So you’re in the most exotic and interesting souk in Morocco and you just have to have that rug and handmade vase. Wrong. Wondering where your budget went half way into a trip is a sinking feeling, as is purchasing tons of souvenirs to only have them blocked at customs.

Go to the Customs and Border Protection website to check what you can and cannot take home from your international trips. For example, you can only bring back one bottle of Tequila or Mescal from your adventure in Mexico. Flying from Europe to the U.S. means you cannot take cured meats home, even if bought duty-free.

Stay away from these situations by doing your research and keeping an eye out for only one or two useful items to bring back home.

Consider programs to reduce security waits

To cut down on longer lines through security, the Transportation Security Administration has implemented a special program called Pre-check, which can be a real lifesaver for frequent travelers or families with children. In fact, children under 12 years old can go through lines with a pre-check person without having to be enrolled.

For a one-time fee, passengers go through a screening process that only needs to be done once so they can bypass lines. This program is for domestic trips, but there is also “Global Entry” that works in the same way.

Each Global Entry enrollment costs $100. When paperwork for the request is approved by U.S. Customs, it will allow you to move through a special, designated line in most airports when you come back to the country.

The system is automated, as opposed to using border patrol staff. There’s an app that goes along with the process for smartphones as well as to check times and anticipate how long you might be waiting to go through. This can be especially useful when making connection flights. For this one, children have to apply as well and cannot use their parents like in the domestic program. The time saved on an international trip for this one-time hassle is invaluable.

What is your best travel tip? Join in the conversation by following us on Twitter.

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Passenger and Cabin Tips

Infant Travel

Infant tickets for children not reaching 24 months on the return flight typically cost up to 10% of adult fare when the infant stays in your lap or in an airline provided bassinet. On most long haul flights you can get a free bassinet for infants weighing up to 22 lbs (10kg). Bassinets may be requested on Fareboom.com at the time of booking the infant passenger using the Assistance request form. Some US carriers do not provide bassinets (Delta, American Airlines - except on Boeing 777). Better foreign carriers are typically more child friendly. On long haul flights you might consider booking infants older than 6 months as children and pay for their own seat, typically costing 70% of adult fare. You should bring your own approved car seat onboard when purchasing a child seat.

Cabin Selection

We prefer booking Premium Economy on long haul international flights when it costs up to 50% more than the lowest available coach class fare. Foreign carriers, such as British Airways, Virgin, Air New Zealand, Air France, Qantas, Eva Air, ANA and Japan Airlines are our favorites. Premium Economy has wider seats, a foot rest and slightly better service to help you get to the destination refreshed and relaxed.

For deeper pockets Business class on long haul flights is king. Ensure that you pick the right airline with lie-flat seats. Paying the Business class premium for partially reclinable seats does not make much sense so you might pick Premium Economy instead (when available).

Flight Search Tips

Multi-city and Stopover Savings

We let you see and do more for less by providing virtually free stopovers in major cities on the way to your destination. Say you are going from New York to Rome but would like to stopover in London or Paris on the cheap. Simply create three flights: 1) NYC-LON, 2) LON-ROM and 3) ROM-NYC. You can get even more creative by adding another flight stopping in Paris on the return. You may decide to see more of Italy and head north to return from Venice instead of Rome. Simply search as follows: 1) NYC-LON, 2) LON-ROM and 3) VCE-NYC. Our powerful search will try to optimize the fare to apply a single, low round trip price even when you stop at major airports or when you return from a different city than your arrival.

Five leg search tip: When you’ve got to visit many places you might find that booking four legs plus one separately is cheaper than five at once due to search limitations. Try booking up to four legs with a separate one way booking for the fifth and compare with a full five leg search to see which combination yields a better total price.

Radius Search

You likely noticed cool sliders above From/To airport selectors. They let you search for lower fares up to 175 miles around your origin or destination. This feature is especially useful when your origin or destination airport is surrounded by larger airports that might have considerably lower fares due to their size. This feature is especially useful in densely populated areas, such as within Europe where driving 100 miles to an alternate airport might mean several hundred dollars in savings. Combine Radius search with Best Value sorting on Flight Results page to ensure that the cost of driving to alternate airports is considered when picking the best flight.

When to book

This is something we get asked a lot. That’s why we developed a unique fare analysis tool called the Real Deal. Look for the orange Real Deal logo displayed with select flights. When you see it - book it, because the price will most likely not get any better. As a rule of thumb the best time to book depends on fare seasonality that is based on destination seasons. Winter is typically cheapest with summer being the most expensive, except for peak Christmas season when airlines are anything but generous with discount seats. To get the best deal you should book low season up to three months in advance and high season up to six months in advance. If you know that you need to go on a particular date in the future and want to play it safe book up to eight months in advance. If you don’t really care about specific dates wait a bit longer and look out for the Real Deal right here on Fareboom.com – it just doesn’t get any better.